We promised to take care of each other
by Metope
Summary: When Neal comes back with Emma to Storybrooke he finds someone there he thought he would never see again. AU (not a romantic pairing!) "I thought I'd never see you again." She whispered. "God you're so different." "So are you. I guess we've both grown up." He replied. "While we said we would never do that." She replied with a soft smile. Eventual Swanthief and Evil Hook :)
1. Chapter 1

**One**

There was constant tension in the car as Emma was driving Henry, Gold _and_ Neal back to Storybrooke. The tension had been there during the long flight back to Boston too, but at least while they were in the plane they weren't much in each other's way, so it didn't feel as bad. Now everything was just extremely awkward. Gold was sitting next to Emma because Neal refused to sit next to his father and Emma refused to sit next to Neal. This all resulted in him sitting in the back seat next to Henry, who seemed to be happy with this arrangement for he still hadn't forgiven Emma for lying to him either and he didn't trust Gold.

"Well, welcome to Storybrooke." Emma said sarcastically when they passed the town sign. Gold sighed in relief as he once again felt the magic tingling inside him. He wanted to try if nothing had changed but thought it better not to do that right now for he had to gain back Bae's trust and magic wouldn't help with that.

"I have to drive you to your shop I assume?" Emma asked Gold, who nodded in response.

"Can we first pass by the diner?" Henry now asked. "I'm pretty hungry and I'm craving for one of Granny's burgers."

"A burger hm? That doesn't sound like a bad idea." Neal now said.

"I'll first drop Gold off and then we can go to the diner I guess." Emma responded stiffly.

"No, you can go to the diner first." Gold answered. "I'm pretty hungry myself too and I think I'd rather stop by the hospital first to check on Belle."

"Okay, whatever you want." Emma said with a sigh, to her every plan was fine as long as it meant she could get out of this car and this extremely awkward situation.

***Normally I would add a line with the shipname of this fanfiction here but since I don't have nor will think of a ship name for these two you'll have to do with this :-D***

Regina was making her way to the diner when she heard footsteps behind her. "I take it my mother didn't trust me to go out on my own and sent you and your impeccable pirate skills to follow me unseen; forgetting to explain to you being unheard is just as essential?" She asked without looking back.

"On the contrary, love. I decided to come with you by myself, and it was not at all my intention to do so secretly."

"Then why do you continue to walk behind me?" As soon as Regina said those words she cursed herself for doing so.

"So I can admire the view that is in front of me."

"You're predictable."

"But you can't deny you like it when I am."

Regina huffed and she felt her cheeks redden a little. If he wasn't so incredibly good looking she would have made him pay for talking to her like that, but unfortunately he was incredibly good looking, and funny, and smart and…_stop it_ she thought to herself and she hated herself for being so weak around the pirate.

"Suit yourself." She then said.

Hook caught up with her just before she was about to enter the diner.

"Got bored from the view?" She asked sarcastically.

Hook shook his head. "Oh no, I could stare at it for hours." He teased and Regina couldn't help but smile a little. As much as this pirate was annoying she did like their little word games from time to time. "I just thought it would be more fun an entrance if we would enter the diner together."

Regina nodded. "I like that thought." She said with a smirk as she let Hook take her by the arm and together they entered the diner. The conversations that had been going on in the diner immediately fell silent as they entered and Regina couldn't help but let out an evil grin, she still had it, _they_ still had it.

"Regina." Granny said in a cold voice from behind the bar.

"Well hello to you too widow Lucas." Regina said in a fake sweet voice.

"What do you want?"

"Good question. What on earth would a person coming in your _diner_ where you serve food and drinks _ever_ want? O I know, I came here with my dear pirate here to actually make use of those services you offer." She answered sarcastically as she made her way to a booth in the back of the diner.

The people in the other booths were frozen with fear as they followed the queen and pirate with their eyes. "I would like a chicken salad and a water and Hook here wants a hamburger." Regina called from the booth to Granny. "I'm not serving _you_." Granny spat instead.

"Oh I think you are." Was all Regina said as she broke a few of the plates that were standing next to Granny with a simple flick of her wrist. "Oh how clumsy of me. I hope I won't do it again…" She said with an evil smile.

Granny growled angrily as she started to pick up the broken plates. "Ruby! A chicken salad and a hamburger for that witch and her male hooker." Granny yelled to the back.

The people in the diner gasped at Granny's daring words and waited for Regina to respond. The former queen just let out an amused laugh. "O dear Hook I'm sorry, I think she just insulted you." She said

"O I think I can handle it." The man played along.

Regina nodded. "Ah yes, and after all, she isn't far away from the truth with that statement, is she now?" She didn't give Hook time to respond as she now looked to the people in the diner. "Well dear people, I think you have had enough entertainment now, don't you? I _strongly_ suggest you all mind your own business again." And said people suddenly all thought their food and each other to be the most interesting phenomenons present at that moment.

"I can't help but feel like you just insulted me, love." Hook said as Regina turned her attention back to him.

"Oh I did." She said with a fake smile.

"What is a hamburger anyways." Hook asked deciding to let the topic slide for now.

"You'll like it." Was all Regina said.

"Just as much as I like you?" Hook asked teasingly.

"Maybe even more, if that's possible at all." Regina winked.

"Care to tell me why you are here?"

"We're here for those two." Regina said as she inconspicuously pointed in the direction of the door of the diner where no one less than Snow and Charming were coming through right at that moment.

"O your two favourite idiots." Hook said with a smirk.

Regina nodded. "And what are you planning on doing to them?"

"I have to make sure they stay out of my way. They could ruin everything with their simple pathetic little minds. I have to keep up the appearance to work with Cora and make sure everyone fears me just so I can defeat her, something they can't wrap their pathetic little minds around."

Hook grinned. "Yes they're not the brightest ones around here are they? You would think that especially the brunette wouldn't actually believe that you would just blindly follow your mother's orders from one day to another?"

Regina sighed. "Well apparently they do."

She followed the Charming couple with her eyes and saw how they sat down at the bar and talked to Granny. The old lady immediately pointed in the direction of Regina and when both heads turned her way she waved sweetly at them.

"You would have been dead if eyes could kill." Hook remarked.

"As would they." Regina said dryly.

For a second it seemed as if Snow was going to go to them but she just shook her head and paid attention to the conversation David and Granny had started.

***Normally I would add a line with the shipname of this fanfiction here but since I don't have nor will think of a ship name for these two you'll have to do with this***

When Emma, Henry, Gold and Neal entered the diner they immediately got greeted by an overenthusiastic Snow and Ruby.

"Emma!" Snow exclaimed happily. "You're back already! O I've missed you, why didn't you call?"

Emma just smiled awkwardly as she let herself be pulled into a hug by Snow. "Yes, well, it was all a bit chaotic and awkward, I kind of forgot." Emma said as she slowly pulled away from her mother.

"Emma, good to see you and Henry made it back safely." David said happily as he gave his daughter a short hug, things were still a little awkward between them.

"Hi gramps." Henry said happily as he hugged David and then to Ruby: "Ruby can I have a hamburger please? I'm starving, and my dad wants one too."

Henry mentioning his 'dad' caused everyone to now pay attention to the stranger that was standing a little behind Emma, Gold and Henry.

"Yes…well.." Emma said in a nervous laugh. "Everyone, _Baelfire_, Gold's son and, surprise, surprise, Henry's dad."

Before anyone could form a proper reaction to this news - Snow and David of course already knew but that didn't make it any easier- they were all startled by the sound of glass breaking. Everyone turned around and saw a pale Regina who had probably been holding a glass of water moments ago but now was standing in glass splinters and a pool of water. Her dark brown eyes were wide with shock as she stared at the man who Emma referred to as Baelfire.

* * *

Neal's attention changed from Emma and the two people who probably were her parents to the back of the diner where he had heard the crashing sound of glass meeting floor coming from. When people stepped away and he saw who was responsible for the sudden sound his eyes grew wide at who he saw standing there. She was older, she looked different, and she had lost some of that spark he had always seen in her eyes, but it was her, there was no doubt about that. She was the first to speak and the one word she spoke made that he now knew for sure who he was looking at.

"Neal…" She said with a soft voice.

"Wait, how does she know your fake name?" Emma asked, but Neal ignored her as he made his way past all these people he didn't know, to that woman he hadn't seen for so many years. He started to walk quicker and quicker as he approached her and couldn't help the smile that was plastered on his face that grew bigger with every step he took.

* * *

Regina just stared at the man that was walking towards her. It really _was_ him. He was older, and he had gained some weight she thought, but it really was him. The smile that appeared on his face as soon as she said his name took her last doubts away. He quickly started to walk towards her and the smile on his face that seemed to grow bigger with every step he took seemed to be contagious as she couldn't help but smile back. She started to walk towards him too and couldn't help but let out a short gasp of surprise as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug while lifting her up a little.

All the people in the diner stared in awe at the scene that was unfolding in front of them but Neal and Regina didn't seem to notice. They only had eyes for each other, the rest of the world just didn't exist for now.

When he had put her down again he pulled away from her a little so he could look at her face. "Gina." He said, his smile so wide by know that it practically divided his face in half. "It is really you."

"I thought I'd never see you again." She whispered as she couldn't stop staring at him. "God you're so different."

"So are you. I guess we've both grown up." He replied.

"While we said we would never do that." She replied with a soft smile. "Your eyes are still the same though."

"As is your smile." Neal said as he pulled her into a hug again.

"You left me." She whispered in his shoulder.

"I didn't mean to."

"You were my brother, you said you would never leave me." She replied.

"Well but brothers are supposed to protect their sisters, and that's what I was doing."

"What happened then? Because you never came back."

"Well that would have been my fault." Hook's voice snapped the two adults out of their little reunion as the pirate stood up from his place in the booth and walked over to the couple. Neal immediately grabbed Regina's arm and pulled her behind him. "Hook!" He growled. "What on earth are you doing here."

"Well that's actually what I was about to ask _you_, Neal. But it does make sense when I come to think of it. My arch enemy in Neverland turns out to be the _son_ of my arch enemy in _this_ land. The conclusion is I am not too fond of your family I suppose you could say and –"

"Wow wow wow wow…woooooooow _wait_ a second." Emma now interrupted the pirate. "What the _hell_ is going on here? You three _know_ each other? And you're like what, _siblings_? What the hell is that? I'm feeling sorry for Henry already, he has the most distorted, weird family tree _ever_ like this. His grandparents are Snow White and Prince Charming _and_ Rumplestiltskin, he has me as a mother but his adoptive mother is also his great-grandmother and from what I just heard, not only that, _but_ is also his _freakin'_ AUNT? And _what_ is with the nickname? Gina? _Seriously!?_" Emma now yelled and she turned to Gold. "Regina is your _daughter_?"

Gold shook his head. "O no, most certainly not. I'm just as confused about all of this as you are miss Swan."

Regina now turned away from Neal and her indifferent cold mask was in place once again. "We're not blood related Miss Swan. Don't worry about that."

"Then why did you call each other brother and sister, and how did you meet? And what has Hook got to do with all of this?"

"That's not something we have to explain to you and –" But Regina got cut off by Neal.

"We met in Neverland. I told you how I've spend some time in another place right? Well that was Neverland, I lived there, it's a place where time stands still. One day I met Gina there, she always visited at night, when it was day in Neverland, and we soon became very close friends. We were the same, I didn't have parents that loved me and protected me and nor did she. We vowed to take care of each other, I would protect her as her brother and she would take care of me as my sister when I was wounded once again."

"…by Captain Hook…" Regina breathed and her eyes darkened at the realization. "You always told me you were wounded because of the Indians or the wild animals from the jungle but it always was Hook wasn't it!"

"Guilty." Hook said with a big grin.

"You're Wendy?" Henry now piped up and everyone looked at the little boy who was watching this odd interaction between his mother and father curiously.

"What?" Emma asked.

"My mom, she's Wendy from the stories and dad is Peter." Henry explained impatiently.

Neal smiled. "No she's not. Wendy was ages before Regina arrived, as for Peter…"

"…that's quite the story, would take too long to explain that here, better save that for another time." Hook interrupted Neal. "Now, if all of this is settled…"

"O this isn't settled at _all_!" Emma growled. "You only explained like ten per cent of everything. I don't understand any of this."

"For once I agree with miss Swan." Regina growled lowly as she eyed Hook. "We're not done at all." And with a flick of her wrist she slammed Hook against the wall and closed her hand just a little causing Hook to have trouble breathing. "I thought that _you_ were to be trusted. That you understood me, because we went through the same once in our lives. I couldn't have been more wrong. You're just as guilty as all of them are, you _too_ are responsible for the fact that _everything_ I love _always_ gets ripped away from me. And you_ will _pay for that!" She growled as she set a step in Hook's direction and closed her hand a little tighter.

"Mom!" Henry yelled. "Don't do that. I thought you wanted to _change_!"

"Gina, what are you doing?" Neal asked in confusion. "You can use magic?"

"Oh yes she can." Emma said cynically.

Neal ignored Emma. "Gina don't do this. This is not how you are, this is not who you wanted to be."

"O don't worry – Neal.." Hook breathed. "We have been – through this before – I tend to piss her off a lot – but in the end…." Regina squeezed even more air out of his lungs. "…in the end she always…releases me…because she …loves me…"

"Shut up!" Regina screamed but she did indeed let go of the pirate who slumped to the floor. She turned to Neal.

"Look Neal, " she started and her voice had changed back from the Evil Queen to the Regina Neal knew, she didn't care that she looked vulnerable to the entire diner now, that wasn't important. "You might have known me back then, but we both changed. Maybe you changed for the better, or not.." She added when she heard Emma's snorting from behind Neal. "but I must certainly changed into something horrible. And – I'm trying to change right now…but no one really seems to believe that…and…it's for the better if you just leave me alone, okay?"

"Yes Neal-boy. Just leave her alone." Hook said with an evil smirk as he stood up from the floor and went to stand behind Regina.

"Uhm excuse me…" Snow now interrupted. "You tried to change but we don't be_lieve_ you? So the fact that you unleashed a _giant_ to the town to go after David was your way of saying: "Hey I'm sorry but look I'm changing?"

Regina shook her head. "God Snow you really _are_ stupid." She said in an irritated voice. "First you frame me for the murder of Dr. Hopper while I've been trying to change so hard, only to find out it was my mother's doing. And then, when I seem to do something horrible like that again, that doesn't make sense for I'm trying to change, you make the _same_ mistake again? That wasn't _me_ that was my mother who gave the food to the giant. I was together with Hook inside my house all day!" And as soon as she said this she immediately turned red as she realized how that last thing must've sound to them. "…trying to find a way to defeat my mother." She added but she saw she wasn't convincing anyone with that last statement.

"Oh yes we were _together_." Hook said while he winked at Snow.

"Not helping, Hook." Regina growled.

"Wait, your mother? She is here too?" Neal now asked confused and he let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't understand anything of this. You're trying to change? You have magic?" And then Neal slowly connected the dots. "_You_ are the one who send everyone here? _You_ are the evil queen?"

Henry had explained the basic storyline of what had happened to him on their way back. He had referred to Regina as the Evil Queen all the time, so Neal hadn't put the dots together until now. Regina sent him a sad smile. "I told you, it's better if you stay away from me."

"No wait, you have to explain all of this to me!" Neal said and he tried to grab her arm. However before he could reach her Regina set a step back, grabbed Hook's arm and poofed them away in a cloud of dark purple smoke.

Neal turned around, defeat clearly readable in his eyes as he looked over at the people in the diner that were still there. "Care to explain to me what on earth has happened to her since I left her?" He asked while looking at both Emma and his father.

"I think it might be a good idea to try to make sense out of all of this indeed." Snow said. "You have to tell us more about your time with and connection to her too, you know."

"When were the first and the last time you saw her?" Gold now asked, it was the first thing he said in a while, which wsa very unlike him. But when Emma looked at the man she saw why: She didn't see the frightening charismatic man she knew standing next to her. What she saw instead was a confused man, who had lost his true love, had found his son back again who wanted to have as little with him to do as possible, and has just found out that that same son thought of the woman he hated most as his sister.

"The first time I met her she was twelve, I was sixteen at the time." Neal started. "The last time, I was still sixteen of course, she was about eighteen and…we talked about how her horrible mother wanted to marry her off to some rich nobleman while all she wanted was to be free."

"That has to have been right before she met Daniel." Henry piped up.

"How do you know about Daniel?" Snow asked confused.

"She told me after the whole zombie-stable-accident." Henry explained. "She told me how she met him when she was eighteen years old. She said she had felt extremely lonely at the time because she had just lost a friend she cared deeply for. She must have been talking about you, dad."

"Who is Daniel?" Was all Neal asked.

Gold let out a sarcastic laugh. "_Daniel_ – or actually his passing – is the reason all of this happened in the first place…"

* * *

**BAM so because there were so many people requesting a Regina Neal fanfiction here it is. But because I don't ship this at ALL as a romantic pairing I didn't right it that way. I hope you like this, I kind of do, I think… Just let me know, Reviews are very very very welcome with this story because to be honest, I have noooo idea what I'm doing here and if you like it or not ****!**

**X**

**Metope**


	2. Chapter 2

**Two**

"Well that was unexpected." Hook said when they appeared in front of Regina's house.

"Shut up." Regina growled and then let out a frustrated sigh. "I forgot my keys."

"So?" Hook shrugged. "Just magic us inside like you poofed us away from the diner."

But Regina shook her head. "No. I don't want to use magic unless I absolutely have to. If I'm not careful I get addicted to it again and I will only disappointed Henry more."

"Well then why didn't you teleport us to _inside_ your house?" Hook asked annoyed.

"I can't, we put spells on the house so no one can teleport into the house as a protection from Gold and that fairy." Regina spat back.

"So now what?"

"Now we're going to ring the bell and knock on the door until my mother opens, while we hope she didn't decide to take a nap as it is around noon and she normally does." Regina answered as she did what she had just described.

"I think she did take a nap." Hook remarked dryly when after several knocks and bell ringing there still was no sign of life coming from inside the house.

"She should have woken up from the noise we made." Regina said. "Maybe she's gone out." And that thought scared Regina more than she wanted to admit. If Cora had gone out she might find out that Gold and Emma and the others were back in town and worse, she might find out about Neal.

"I guess we'll just have to wait here then until she either opens the door or comes back." Hook said.

Regina nodded and let her back lean against the door with a sigh. "Hook?" She asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Hm?"

"What's the deal between you and Neal?"

"If I tell you, will you tell about what the deal is between _you_ and Neal?" The pirate asked.

Regina shook her head. "That is none of your business."

"Well, take what you just said as my answer to your question then." Hook answered.

Regina huffed. "I trusted you." She said after a while.

"Why is that past tense? You don't trust me anymore?"

"No of course not!" Regina said as her eyes grew dark with anger.

"Everything I love is always taken away from me and no one understands! My mother took Daniel, Rumplestiltskin took practically everything else, Emma and those two idiots took Henry away from me, and now it turns out that the one person I thought I could trust because he knows how it feels to see your true love being killed in front of you, took away someone I loved _too_! The only thing everyone I care about ever does is either leave or make sure to make my life a living hell."

"With all due respect, I didn't _know_ anything about you and Neal, whatever it is there was between you two." Hook now said in defence.

Regina shook her head. "That doesn't matter, fact is that you did take him away from me! And now he's back but nothing is the same and I ruined everything. Once Henry and Emma and those two idiots have filled him in on everything that has happened he won't want to have anything to do with me. I'm all alone again! But I tell you this, if you say ONE thing about this to my mother I _will_ kill you!"She ranted a single tear falling down her cheek.

Hook just let her yell at him while he watched the former Queen break down in front of him, he didn't get mad or say anything back which made Regina even angrier.

"Why aren't you saying anything back you _stupid_ pirate!" She yelled. "Is this the silent treatment or something? Are you too afraid to say something? Is it because you know what I told you is true? Is it – " Regina got silenced because Hook had decided it was enough and firmly pressed his lips to hers.

For a moment he felt how Regina gave in to the kiss and her lips slightly parted. However, Regina snapped herself out of it just as quick and she tried to push him away. "Stop it!" She hissed.

But Hook shook his head. "No." He had her pressed against the front door while his hands held her arms on her place so she couldn't escape.

"What the hell are you doing? Let me go!"

"I'm showing you that you're not alone. That there is still someone who loves you." Was all Hook said.

Regina laughed a joyless laugh. "Yeah right. Did you really think I would buy this pathetic little play of yours? This is just a way to get into my pants. Not going to happen mister. They may _think_ I'm sleeping with you, but that doesn't mean we have to make that thought the truth."

But Hook shook his head again. "No it is not fake a way to get you to sleep with me. If I wanted that I would have gone for a different approach." He said with a small smile on his face. That smile, Regina thought, he was so hot with that mischievous smile on his face.

Hook saw she got distracted and used the short moment she was off guard to kiss her again.

Regina pulled her head away again. "Hook! I – " He kissed her again. "Stop it I- !" And again. "Hook get your hands OFF of me!" She now screamed at the top of her lungs, angry tears were streaming down her face. And just as Hook finally listened to Regina and let her go the front door opened causing Regina to fall down backwards. When she looked up she stared in Cora's surprised face.

"What on earth is going on?" The older woman asked with a disapproving face.

"Nothing." Regina said as she got up from the ground. "I forgot my keys and you didn't hear the doorbell at first. Now if you will excuse me." And with that she walked past her mother towards the stairs while she quickly brushed the tears from her face.

Cora now turned her attention to Hook as she eyed him with a questioning look.

"Henry got back unexpectedly. We ran into them at the diner. She's upset because he didn't come with her and I'm afraid I didn't make it any better." Hook said with a smirk as he entered the house.

"I could hear that." Cora said disapproving. "I suggest you find another woman than my daughter to 'play' with." Was all she said as she closed the door.

* * *

"You are kidding right?" Neal said when everything that had happened was explained to him. Snow, David, Emma and Henry had taken turns to tell everything while Gold just listened. None of the Charmings knew exactly all the details about his part in Regina's 'transformation' to evil and he liked to keep it that way.

"Why would we joke about something as horrible as this?" Emma asked bluntly.

"But Gina? She never was evil when I was with her. She was kind, and caring, and she would never _ever_ hurt _any_one on purpose."

"That Regina is long gone Neal. " Snow said. "I've known the Regina you are talking about for a while. But Cora killing Daniel and forcing her to marry my father changed her."

"You said she was trying to change." Neal now asked Henry.

The kid nodded. "Yes, she said she would try to change so she could be a better mother to me. I asked her not to use magic anymore."

"But I guess that when we accused her of having killed Archie and didn't believe her when she said she didn't do it that led her right back into Cora's arms, just as that witch had planned." Snow said bitterly.

"But," David now said. "What she just said, right before she left, that it was really stupid of us to think she really had gone bad again, that made me think. What if she's playing Cora? What if she's just trying to gain Cora's trust, makes her believe she's on her side but in the meantime is trying to find a way to stop her?"

"Do you really believe that David?" Emma asked sarcastically. "You saw what she did to Hook, that didn't seem 'good' to me."

"Well he deserved that." Neal growled.

"And she didn't actually go through with it." Henry piped up.

"Yeah because you and Neal told her not too." Emma replied.

"The real evil queen wouldn't have listened to that." Henry stated. "I believe gramps is right, I think she's on our side indeed."

"That would mean Hook is on our side too." Snow said.

"He did say she loved him." Henry said hesitantly.

Neal snorted. "That's what he likes to think. She can't possibly love that bastard. How do they know each other anyways?"

Snow shrugged. "I'm not sure. Only thing I know is that Hook came here with Cora."

"She hired him to get her mother killed." Gold now joined the conversation. "Despite what you all might think, Regina still loves her mother. It's sick and twisted but she does. But Cora has always taught Regina that love is weakness, so when Regina was about to cast the curse she first had to make sure Cora was dead, so she couldn't come with her to this land and weaken her curse. Unable to do that herself she asked Hook to do it for her. He didn't succeed in the task however, and instead joined forces with Cora. And for what it's worth, I think David and Henry are right. Regina isn't acting like the Evil Queen, she is most definitely playing her mother."

"Then why didn't she let us know she was on our side?" Snow asked.

"Three reasons. One, this way your interaction is genuine. You really hate each other, you don't have to pretend. Two, this way she makes sure Cora won't hurt any of you just to get to Regina, like she did with Archie. That way she only has to make sure to prevent Cora from killing you by saying she wants you to suffer first, for example. And third, what would you do if you got Cora captured?"

"I guess we would execute her?" David said hesitantly.

"Exactly." Gold said. "And as I just said, Regina still loves her mother. She might have wanted to have her mother dead back in the other land, when she still believed love is weakness, but that thought isn't so strong imprinted in her mind anymore. She doesn't want Cora dead, so instead she's trying to find a solution to the problem all by herself."

"And what kind of solution do you think she's looking for?" Emma asked.

"From what I've seen so far I think she's trying to regain Cora's trust, as you said. From there I think she will try to convince Cora that she's happy the way things are."

Snow shook her head. "That will never work."

"I know dearie. It didn't work with Daniel so it won't work now either, but Regina believes it will. She wants to believe that and she _needs_ to believe that. Because if it doesn't work that basically means Cora doesn't love her and with that fact she cannot deal."

"But it's the truth. Cora _doesn't_ love her." Henry said confused. "Why is that so hard to accept?"

"Well Henry." Emma now said. "When you said all these months ago when you came to find me that you believed that your mother didn't love you, how did that make you feel?"

Henry shrugged. "I don't know..." He started. "I felt hurt.." he then said. "I felt like I hadn't been good enough for her. But then I thought back to all the times we spent together when she told me that she loved me, before the book I mean. And then I knew again she does love me."

Emma nodded as she softly ruffled his hair to comfort him a little. "Exactly, now for Regina it's the same. But with the big difference that when her mother says she loves Regina, it's in the way Regina said it to you after you had found the book."

"..Just to make me stop talking about you and the book..." Henry said.

"Yes. Just as a formality, exactly. So Regina doesn't know if her mother loves her of not, she can only hope and assume Cora does. Because if she doesn't do that she will feel as sad and as hurt as you felt that short moment, but she will feel it all the time. Do you understand that?"

Henry nodded. "Yes I guess I do."

Neal suddenly stood up from his chair and walked towards the exit of the diner.

"Bae where are you going?" Gold asked.

"Don't call me that, I'm Neal now." Neal said as he turned around. "And I'm going to find Regina." As he continued to the door.

"Neal wait!" Emma now said. "You can't do that! It's dangerous, Cora is probably there!"

"So what. I'll deal with her."

"Don't be foolish." Gold said. "You think _you_ can deal with her? If it was that easy don't you think I would have gotten rid of her long before?"

"Besides, you don't even know where she lives." Henry remarked.

Neal sighed. "Then what do you suggest I do? I do want to speak to her."

"We'll have to make a plan." Snow stated. "Because there is another matter we have to discuss too."

"Being..?" Emma asked.

"Cora is after the dagger. _Your_ dagger." Snow said to Gold. "She already found the map you had hidden in the library."

"When was that?" The imp asked.

"A couple of days ago."

"Well that means two things. One that she hasn't found it yet. And two that Hook is on our side for he must have sent her the wrong way. Cora can't read the map by herself, you see."

Snow nodded. "Okay, that buys us some time. So what do you suggest?"

"I suggest that I'm going to have a little talk with her. In the meanwhile Miss Swan here can take Neal to see Regina. After that's settled Neal can tell us about his time in Neverland."

David nodded. "Sounds like a good plan to me. I will join you Gold, better not face that woman alone, magic or no magic."

* * *

"Where is my mother?" Regina asked as she entered the living room and only found Hook sitting on her couch. "And get your filthy boots of my couch!"

Hook did as she said. "Cora had to go all of the sudden. She said someone was calling her through the card-system-thing you know?"

Regina nodded. "Must be Gold then." she said with a sigh while she sat down next to Hook on the couch. "I can't think of anyone else knowing about that way to call her."

"Hey, don't worry too much. It will all be alright." Hook said softly.

"If she kills Gold we're lost."

"She can't she doesn't have the dagger, remember."

"If she knows about Neal that changes everything. She can make him get the dagger just by threatening to kill Neal..."

"I'm sure if Gold called for her he has made sure that won't happen." Hook tried to calm Regina as he softly touched her arm with his hand, she didn't jerk away.

"And you should look to it from the bright side: If we're lucky they might kill each other and all our problems will be solved at once."

Regina laughed. "Hm, yes." But her face quickly saddened again. "I don't want her dead though." She whispered.

"I know that." Hook replied as he now slowly put his arm around her and pulled her towards him. Regina let him and when their shoulders met she rested her head in the crook of his neck. They just sat like that for a while until they heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it." Regina sighed and Hook inwardly cursed the person that chose this moment to interrupt.

* * *

"Hi." Neal said and he let out a nervous laugh when he saw Regina's surprised face as he and Emma stood on her doorstep. The surprised face quickly changed to an indifferent cold one Neal had never seen before, but Emma knew all too well.

"I thought I had made myself clear in the diner? I don't want you near me."

"I know..but I had to see you anyways." Neal started.

Regina sighed. "Well I honestly don't know how Henry can be such a smart boy with parents that seem to be so stupid. If you'll excuse me now, I've got things to do and I'm surprised you thought it would be _safe_ to come here just like that. You do know my mother is staying her too?"

"Regina cut the crap." Emma now intervened as she saw Neal was too much in shock about this behaviour of Regina he didn't know to answer. "We know Cora isn't home, we made sure she wouldn't be. She won't be home for a while too so you can drop the act. Just let Neal talk to you, we'll be back after that."

Regina's eyes narrowed. "Fine." She said in a low voice as she opened the door for them to enter. "But make it quick."

"Thanks." Neal said happily as he entered the house, a smile on his face. That smile was wiped from his face quick enough however when he heard a male's voice coming from what was probably the living room. "Who is it love?"

Regina sighed. "I told you not to call me that!" She called back. "And you better stay there, Miss Swan is here. She'll come to keep you company. I've got something to do." And with that Regina quickly walked over to Emma and pushed her towards the living room. "Quick go in and keep him busy before he comes here."

"What the hell – Regina, no I – " Emma protested as she pushed Regina away.

"O come _on_ miss Swan. Even with _your_ incapability to be subtle you must have noticed Killian and Neal can't stand each other? I don't want drama in my house. " Regina said angrily.

Emma smirked. "Killian hm? So you _are_ sleeping with him then?"

Regina felt her cheeks turn red. "No I am _not_! What a vulgar thing to say! Now do as I say or you and Neal can leave at _once_."

"Fine I'll go." Emma sighed and she quickly entered the living room.

"Where can _we_ talk if Emma and that _bastard_ are in there?" Neal now asked as he was still slightly taken aback by the way Regina was acting.

"We can talk in the kitchen." Regina said coldly. "Follow me." And Neal did as she said.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"No thanks. I just want to talk."

"About what."

"About _everything_. About _you_." Neal said as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

"You want to talk about _me_? What is there possibly left to say about me?" Regina suddenly spat as she turned to face him. "I'm sure the Charmings and your dear father have filled you in about the monster I am? Leaving out of course the part where it was Snow who betrayed me, Emma who took Henry away from me and your _father_ who corrupted my soul on _purpose_ by teaching my magic and had planned _all_ of this even before I was born?" Regina ranted. "Judging by your shocked face I see they left out that indeed. Oh and I don't need your pity, I just need you to know that I'm sorry for what I've done, that I'm trying to change but that's _despite_ and thanks _to_ those people."

Neal shook his head. "They told me everything. Snow told me how she betrayed you and they told me how they didn't believe you about Dr. Hopper. The only thing you just told me that was new for me was that my _father_ was behind this?"

Regina's face instantly softened as she saw the pain and confusion in Neal's eyes. "It was he who created the curse, Neal." She whispered. "He knew long before I was born that I had to be the one to cast it. So he made sure that I would become evil enough to be able to do it. If he hadn't lured me into using magic, if he hadn't tricked me into believing Daniel could be brought back and then crush all that hope in a ruthless way you can't even imagine, then maybe, _maybe_ everything would have gone differently."

"But alas he did." Neal breathed.

"But alas he did..." Regina sighed sadly and before she knew it she had walked over to Neal and hugged him. "I'm sorry for being rude to you." She said.

"It's okay. I can't even imagine how hard everything must have been for you."

* * *

After about 15 minutes, including an awkward silence between Emma and Hook for about seven minutes, Emma decided she had given Neal and Regina enough time to talk and decided to go look for them.

"I'm going to look if Regina is done yet. You stay here, I had direct orders and I don't want her to kill me because _you_ didn't follow them." She said to Hook and the pirate just nodded, he would ask Regina about it later.

Judging by the sounds Emma heard when she entered the hallway she thought Regina and Neal were in the kitchen. Emma wasn't really prepared for what she saw when sheentered the kitchen though. On the ground with their backs to the kitchen counter were sitting Regina and Neal. They were talking and laughing animatedly.

"You were so scared of that bird, I had to come and get you from that tree because you didn't dare to come down by yourself." Neal said as he playfully poked Regina's arm..

"That's not true!" Regina laughed playfully poking him back. "I just wanted to give you the feeling you could be my big brother. I could have come down that tree by myself, I just didn't _want_ to."

"Oh I see, that's how it is hm?"

"Yes." Regina said firmly. "It was mostly a – Oh.." She stopped herself as she suddenly saw Emma standing in the door opening staring at her and Neal.

Regina and Neal quickly got up from the ground. "Is something wrong? Did Cora get back already?" Regina asked, panic lightly audible in her voice.

"No, no, no. That's not the case calm down." Emma quickly said. "I just hoped you two were done _talking_ because we most definitely were."

"Hm..well we did talk...but we didn't..." Neal started.

"We made a start." Regina said while she sent Emma a genuine smile. "Thank you for keeping an eye on Hook for me."

"No big deal. Or actually, Henry is much easier." Emma joked but instantly regretted it when she saw Regina's face sadden.

"Regina?" She started.

"Yes Miss Swan." Madam mayor was back.

"You- you're playing Cora right? You're secretly on our side right?"

Regina raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "What makes you think I am?"

"Well, you're not trying to kill me while I'm standing in your house unprotected at this very moment. You said you tried to change and I think you did and Cora still doesn't have the dagger while Snow said you found the map a few days ago, meaning Hook has given her false information. And that can only be the case if he's not on Cora's side anymore, that together with the fact that he's with you all the time made me – made us think you were on our side. And Henry thought you were too." She added and it seemed that that comment convinced Regina as she sent Emma another genuine smile – call the Mirror, Regina Mills is being nice to me, Emma thought.

"Well maybe you're not such an ignorant fool as I thought you were after all, Miss Swann."

Emma smiled. "I like to fool people into thinking I am." She joked. "If you can get away from Cora one of these days, then maybe you could come to visit Henry? I'm sure he would like that, he really misses you, and things between him and me aren't going very smooth at the moment either." Emma said.

"Oh?" Regina asked genuinely surprised. "Why is that? If I may ask."

"I might have lied about who his father was. I didn't think I would see _him_ every again." Emma said as she gestured to Neal who was just standing there observing the interaction between the two women.

"O." Regina said. "Well I'd love to stop by one of these days when I have the chance. Thank you. And I will talk to him about his behaviour towards you if you want me to?"

Emma smiled. "Thanks, we're still staying over at my parents'."

Regina nodded. "You better get going now, I'm not sure how long it will be before my mother comes back."

Emma nodded as she started to walk towards the door, it would be best to leave Regina and Neal alone to say goodbye she thought.

"Can I talk to you again soon?" Neal asked.

Regina shrugged. "I'll try to find you when I can. I have to be careful." She said.

"But you will try?"

"Yes I will try." She smiled. "After all you still haven't told me what happened that one night."

"Nor did you." Neal replied.

Regina laughed. "Now, out with you, before Hook gets impatient or my mother gets back." And she pushed him towards the front door.

"See you soon then."

Regina just nodded and waved shortly at him before she closed the door.

"That was Neal, wasn't it." She heard Hook's voice behind her.

"Yes." She said with a sigh. "Got a problem with that?"

"As a matter of fact I do."

Regina couldn't help but smile a little at that statement. "You're jealous?" She teased as she turned around to look at him. She couldn't hide the surprise on her face when she saw there was indeed a sign of jealousy in his eyes.

Hook said nothing as he walked over to her and pulled her to him crashing their lips together . This time however, _this_ time, Regina didn't pull away, she finally gave in to the pirate and let him deepen the kiss.

"Finally.." Hook growled as he shortly broke the kiss but kissed her again before she could answer.

Regina smiled into the kiss. "I'm not an easy catch, dear." She whispered as she now kissed him.

"My my, did I choose a bad moment to come home."

Regina quickly stepped away from Hook as she saw her mother standing in the hall way, they hadn't heard her come in.

"Mother.." Regina breathed with wide eyes.

* * *

**I promise the next chapter will focus on Neal/Emma/Henry ****!**

**and THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS. I really was so happy to read all of them! **

**Please Read and Review again for this chapter :D!**

**I'll reread on grammar mistakes and stuff tomorrow because I'm very tired atm.**

**x**

**Metope**


	3. Chapter 3

**Three**

"Oh my Rumplestiltskin _and_ Prince Charming? To what do I owe this pleasure?" Cora said as soon as she saw the imp and prince standing in front of her.

"We need to talk dearie."

"O? Do we now?"

"Yes, because I don't believe you have found my dagger yet, meaning you'll be less than pleased about the fact that I returned already."

"Ah yes, you were out of town to find your son, how did that go?"

"That's none of your business. What _is_ your business is the fact that I want you to stop standing in my way."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because _I_ have this." Was all Gold said as he now showed Cora a small chest with a beating heart in it.

Cora gasped. "Where did you get that?"

"I think you know perfectly well where I got that, you really take better care of the things that are precious to you, if not, you'll lose them. Although I shouldn't have to tell you that, considering the fact that you learned that lesson already when your daughter pushed you through the looking glass."

It took Cora all she had in her to not attack the man with her magic, but considering the fact that he was holding _her_ heart in his hands at the moment, attacking the imp probably wasn't the best approach to this all.

"What is it that you want?" She said through clenched teeth.

"I want you to stay as far away from my son and me and our business as possible." Gold said. "Meaning you will do _nothing_ to upset me _or_ my son in my son in _any_ way. And you can stop looking for that dagger, you won't find it anymore and even if you do, I'll know immediately and it's just so easy to just..." Gold now squeezed the heart a little " _squeeze_ the heart till nothing is left." He said with an evil grin on his face.

"Why – Why don't you just kill me already?" Cora asked while she was gasping for air.

"Because I didn't let him." David now said. "And because unlike _you_ Gold is trying to do the right thing here."

"Ohh but there you made a mistake." Cora said in an evil grin while she regained composure. "Love is weakness Rumple, I thought you knew that. Your love for that Belle girl and your son will only hold you back."

"As will your love for Regina, Cora." Gold just answered and he knew he had touched a sensitive subject with this as he saw Cora's eyes darken. "Do we have a deal dearie?"

The older woman nodded. "Deal." She growled and with that she disappeared in a cloud of dark smoke.

Cora didn't think the bad mood that little confrontation had left her in could become any worse, but when she opened the door to Regina's house and saw her daughter smiling and kissing the pirate in a way that it was most certainly just a means to an end, her mood did worsen.

"My my, did I choose a bad moment to come home."

The way her daughter quickly backed away from Hook and the guilty look in her eyes told her she was right. "Mother.." She heard Regina gasp.

"I need to speak to you in private, Regina, _right_ now." Was all Cora said and she made her way to the kitchen, knowing Regina would follow.

* * *

"So, care to tell me what it is you and Regina have?" Emma asked while she and Neal drove back to Granny's diner. Neal was staying at the bed and breakfast for now.

"It's – complicated." Neal said.

"No shit Sherlock." Emma shot back. "You have the ability to change the woman I have only seen being a total bitch into a smiling, laughing woman who's joking with you and sits on the _ground_ in her kitchen! She calls you her brother and almost everyone can see with how much love and care she looks at you, so what ever happened that turned you in the _ass_ that left me when I needed you the most!" Emma now practically yelled.

Neal sighed. "Look Emma, I told you. I left you because of August. He told me about your fate and, I let you have it, I would be holding you back from finding your family. And I'm sorry you had to go to jail, and that you had to give Henry up for adoption. And I feel really guilty for leaving you like that but you know, the truth is, if I could do it all over again I would do it again. Because when I look at you now Emma...you're so happy when you're with your parents, I see how you are a great mother to Henry and with me sticking around, you wouldn't have had that."

Emma shook her head. "With you sticking around, I may never have found my parents no. But that wouldn't have mattered because I didn't really know what I missed, and I wouldn't miss it because I would have had _you! _And I wouldn't have had to miss out on the first _ten_ years of Henry's life, and I wouldn't have had to fight a dragon, being sucked into a portal, eat the most horrible things in that weird land or have to deal with evil queen's and sorceresses! With you sticking around I could have had the perfect life I had always dreamed about!"

"I'm sorry Emma. I truly am." was all Neal said.

"Yeah right."

"No I am! It kills me that I have hurt the two women I cared for so much in my entire life so badly!"

"Two women? O – yes- right, Regina being the other I guess."

Neal nodded. "Yes. She was unhappy back in our land, Emma. So unhappy, her mother was practically suffocating her and when she came to Neverland..we had fun. We played games and later when sang songs and I learned her how to play the piano. They didn't have that instrument back in her land yet, but we had one brought by one of Hook's many travels to this land."

Emma sighed. "I can't even imagine a dancing or singing or piano playing Regina."

"Well she did and it really helped her dealing with everything what happened to her at home. But one night as I said, Hook found out about 'the girl I sometimes brought with me to Neverland'.

So he confronted me with the fact and threatened to kill her if I didn't surrender to him. So I did I thought I could easily break free but this time was different. He had worked out his 'master plan' pretty well this time and it took me longer than expected. By the time I was free again and went to look for Regina she was gone and I never saw her again until now."

"How is that? You said _you_ brought her to your land, why couldn't you do that anymore after?"

Neal shook his head. "It's difficult to explain but she would always appear on this small floating island and I would take her hand and fly her to the main land, but she didn't appear on the island anymore. I don't know why. For weeks I went to look for her on that island every night but without any luck."

"When did you go to this land?"

"When everyone else was gone."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, years after Regina had gone Hook left Neverland. After that it wasn't half as fun in Neverland as it had been before. I was there alone with a couple of the lost boys and all we did all they was do _nothing_. We got bored and thought that maybe it was a good idea to leave Neverland and grow up. After all, there was nothing left for as back there, and so we did."

Emma nodded. "We're here." She said while she stopped the car.

"Thanks for driving me Emma." Neal said, an awkward silence followed.

"Henry wants to spend time with you." Emma said eventually.

Neal nodded. "I would like that. How about I take him to lunch tomorrow."

"I think he would like that."

"Good. I'll pick him up from school then."

* * *

Hook sighed while he heard the voices of the two Mills women coming from the kitchen. First Cora said something with a collected voice and then Hook could here Regina talking back to her mother in a voice that clearly was more upset.

Suddenly the kitchen door slammed open and Regina stormed out. "It means _nothing_ mother! I don't know how _you_ do it and believe me I _don't_ want to know, but I have needs and I choose to use Hook for them now I killed the former sheriff that first fulfilled that job!"

"Seriously?" Hook whispered while Regina stormed past him.

"No." She whispered back while she stormed up the stairs and not long after Hook heard the door of her bedroom slam closed.

"Well that didn't seem to be a nice talk between you two, love." Hook teased as soon as Cora left the kitchen.

"Stay away from my daughter, Hook. You are distracting her."

"O I would never do such a thing." Hook said with a big grin. "It's like she said, we both have needs and chose each other to solve that problem."

Cora shook her head. "I know love when I see it, and that kiss, that was a kiss out of love."

Hook quickly stepped forward towards Cora and put his hook under her chin in a menacing gesture. "The woman I love is _dead_, that crocodile killed him." He growled. "and you promised me I would be able to kill him when I got here but that imp is still walking freely around town while I'm here being held back by you..."

Cora just smiled while she slowly pushed his hook away from her face. "Patience, Hook. Just be patient, you will get your revenge." And with that she walked away, reassured that at least _Hook_ didn't seem to care for Regina, and Regina would find that out soon enough.

Hook had to suppress a sigh of relieve when Cora walked away with a satisfied smile on her face, he had succeed in making her believe he didn't care for Regina. They were safe for now...

* * *

**Thanks for all your kind reviews, they really make me happy :)! I'm sorry for this short chapter, but I have a lot to do this weekend and next week and I didn't want to leave you with no update at all ;)**

**Please read and review, if you have any ideas (that do NOT include Thief Queen) please tell me, I could use a little inspiration :)**

**x**

**Metope**


	4. Chapter 4

**Four**

"So you know my mom…Regina I mean." Henry said while he was sitting next to Neal. They were both eating a slice of pizza in Neal's room.

Neal nodded. "Yes, from a very long time ago."

"What was she like back then?"

Neal laughed. "A pain in the ass. She was always pulling pranks on me and eventually she would get herself in to trouble. But in the end she was the most gentle, sweet, funny girl I had ever met back then."

"Really? Tell me?" Henry now said eagerly, he loved the idea of his stiff formal mother being somewhat of a tomboy when she was younger.

"Well sometimes she had set up this giant trap for me or we just played hide and seek and she would climb in a tree so I wouldn't see her and then after I had found her she would be afraid to get out again so I would have to come and get her. Now she claims that was just so I could feel like her big brother taking care of her, but I know better, she was truly afraid."

Henry chuckled. "That's so weird. Now she's always so serious and stiff."

Neal smiled softly. "But kid, did you want to talk about Regina all the time or do you want to use this time to get to know each other a little more?"

"No I want to know about you more too." Henry laughed. "I was just curious for a bit, that's all."

"Well where shall we start?" Neal said.

Henry frowned. "O there do is one other thing regarding my mom I wanted to ask you….can I?"

"Of course."

"I know Hook is considered a bad guy and everything. But why do you hate each other so much? Because…I think he's kind of after my mom, in a good way depending on how you look at it, and if he's really dangerous we have to keep him away from her."

Neal couldn't help but smile at Henry's concern for Regina's safety. "Well, you know Henry, what happened between me and Hook, that's a very long story maybe for another time. But what you have to know is that I wouldn't worry too much about your mother, she's a tough one, she can take care of herself and although I admit I don't like it at all that they're together so often it's not _my_ place to do something about it, but you could talk to her about it?" Henry didn't have to know that Neal's blood was boiling at even the thought of Hook being in the same room as Regina.

Henry nodded. "Maybe I will do that, but we first have to get rid of Cora then, because now no one lets me come near to my home at all."

"And rightfully so. From what I've heard that woman is world problem number one." Neal said seriously. "You have to promise me you won't sneak out Emma's apartment to talk to her, okay?"

"Why do you think I would do that?" Henry asked seriously surprised that his dad knew that was his plan exactly.

"Henry, you're my and Emma's kid, I would be more surprised if you didn't try than if you did." Neal laughed. "Now tell me, how's life been to you these past eleven years?"

"Well..if you don't count last year…I think it was all pretty good." Henry started. "I mean, I do was confused sometimes because I seemed to be the only one to age, but I only start to notice all of that until a few years ago. I – Everything changed with the book but before that it was pretty great."

"Tell me." Neal encouraged Henry.

"What do you mean?" Henry asked confused.

"Well, tell me what you did. With your friends or with your mom, I want to know everything."

"Like, the times when we would have pyjama-day, my mom and I, when I was younger and we would stay in our PJs the entire day?" Henry asked hesitantly.

"Yes exactly, stuff like that. Or if you ever practiced a sport, or played an instrument? I can imagine Regina pushed you to do that since she's so great on the piano herself."

Henry shook his head. "I wouldn't know about that, we don't have a piano at home and she never ever mentioned she could play piano. She only listens to classical music sometimes, oh and when I was little she sang to me when I couldn't sleep. That would always help me." Henry said with a smile on his face. "And I've played soccer for a while, but it got frustrating when I changed groups because I aged and all my friend stayed behind. So I quit. I do really love comic books though."

"Really? Me too." Neal said with a smile. "Who's your favourite hero?"

"Batman."

"Ah noo batman is nothing, dude, what a poor taste in superheroes you have." Neal teased. "It's wolverine who has the real power." Neal laughed as Henry huffed and before he knew it he was in a vivid conversation with his son about who was the best superhero.

* * *

Cora woke up from her nap to an empty house. Good, she thought, this gave her time to think about her next move. Regina was probably just out for something minor and Hook was, well she didn't really care where Hook was honestly. There were more important things bothering her right now, Gold having her heart for instance, and not in a metaphorical way of speaking of course.

The only good thing about the whole situation was that she now at least knew where it was. She had 'lost' her heart many, many years ago, before the curse broke, even before Regina had sent Hook to kill her. She had it locked up together with her other hearts and the only one other than herself who had been in that place had been Regina to get her pathetic father out. Therefore it had always been a mystery to Cora how it had been possible that her heart had disappeared. She had searched for it for months, it caused a few people to lose their heads, but Gold apparently had it, that explained much. The only other way to retrieve her heart had been by summoning it magically, only she and Gold could perform that particular spell 'transwordly', and maybe Regina could too, she now thought.

Anyways, the point was, what would she do now? She still felt like Regina didn't trust her entirely, every interaction they had ended in a fight. There was the matter of the pirate her daughter was clearly falling for and she didn't have the power of the dark one. She would have to convince Regina to go look for the dagger instead so she wouldn't break the deal. It would be more difficult now her son was back in town. The Henry-will-never-know-so-we-can-steal-that-dagger-without-problems-card didn't work anymore so she would have to come up with another plan to convince Regina of getting that dagger. Cora sighed, she couldn't come up with anything right now, she would go look for Regina first, her daughter had been long enough away for now.

After Cora had looked for Regina in the diner, city hall, the family grave and the hospital and still hadn't found Regina she started to worry. Regina wouldn't be at Gold's shop because she wouldn't be welcome there at all, for the same reason Snow's apartment wasn't an option too. She hadn't seen Hook anywhere on her little quest either, so maybe they were together Cora thought…on Hook's ship of course and she quickly teleported herself to the ship, not prepared at all for what she saw when she got there and walked inside the ship.

"Ah Cora, you came to join us?" Hook asked and let out a groan of pain as Regina slapped him in the face as hard as she could.

"Dear God MOTHER GET OUT!" She screamed while she desperately tried to cover herself with the sheets of Hooks small bed and pushed Hook, who was laying half on top of her, off of her. "And SERIOUSLY Killian that is the grossed thing I've ever heard in my LIFE!" She added as she hit him again.

Cora swallowed, she wasn't sure what to do, she didn't quite register her daughter's yelling for she was still too much in shock about what she'd just seen. It hadn't been that much honestly, but it had been enough; she didn't want to _see_ _any_one on top of her little girl – who wasn't wearing too much clothes by the way - kissing her and do god knows what _ever_. But alas, she just had. Regina's furious "_MOTHER" _snapped Cora out of her shocked state and in the same moment she had thought of a way to get Regina to find the dagger for her. After all, love was weakness…

"I – am sorry." Cora stammered averting her eyes from the bed. "I'm going to go home now and… yes, I'm just going to do that." And with that Cora left the cabin again and quickly made her way off the ship.

"Well that was fun." Hook said when Cora had left.

"O do shut up please." Regina snapped. "From all the bad moments I've endured in my life this one certainly makes the top ten of worst moments _ever_._"_

"O love, come on." Hook now said as he planted a kiss in the crook of her neck. "I'll make sure to lock the door better next time and you could place an enchantment on the cabin so we make sure no one 'magicks' him- or herself in either."

"There won't be a next time." Regina said stiffly. "Now my mother knows it will be impossible.."

"I'm not sure about that." Hook said. "If she really disapproved she would have done something about us the moment she saw us. I think she really believes our make believe story about 'friends with benefits'."

Regina couldn't help but smile as Hook kissed the crook of her neck again and then made his way up until his lips found hers.

"You really think so?" She asked when she broke the kiss.

Hook nodded. "Yes, _but_ I also think it might be better if you get up now, as much as I regret it, to go talk to her, just to make sure."

Regina nodded. "You're probably right." She said as she started to look for her clothes.

Just as Regina had zipped up her skirt she felt Hooks arms snake around her waist and pulling her towards him. She laughed as she felt his lips on her bare shoulder for she hadn't put on her shirt yet. "I thought we agreed that I had to go?" She said while she turned herself in his arms just enough to look at him.

"I know, but you just look so damn good." Hook grinned.

"Well you don't look so bad yourself when you're like this either." Regina said with a slightly devious smile. "I think you should walk around town like this from now on."

"Just in my jeans, no shirt, you like that hm?" Hook smiled as he planted a kiss on her cheek and then captured her lips again with his. Regina responded by kissing him back but quickly broke the kiss as she heard the door of the cabin open once again. What happened next went all so quick Regina was surprised she seemed to remember everything afterwards. Before she knew it Neal stormed towards her and punched Hook in the face while he pulled her to him with his other hand. Hook quickly recovered and now stormed to Neal and punched him in the face as well. Before any more damage could be done Regina raised both of her hands and both men were suddenly hovering in mid-air.

"Neal!" She screamed furiously. "What the HELL do you think you're doing?"

"Well I was trying to save you of course." Neal said groaning a little because his nose was bleeding. "You were nowhere to be found so I figured Hook must have captured you and brought you to his ship and I was right. And by the looks of it I was just in time."

Hook grinned. "Do you want to tell him or can I have the pleasure?"

Regina sighed. "Well since it seems like I can't keep this a secret without people walking in on us all the time… the pleasure is all yours dear."

"Dear, dear, Neal-boy." Hook started. "Did it ever occur to you in that thick head of yours that _maybe_ just maybe I didn't capture our dear Queen here but that she came with me out of free will because she _wanted_ to be with me?"

Neal said nothing for a moment and then looked to Regina for an explanation as he wouldn't get one from Hook for the pirate was much too happy with looking at Neal's confused face. "What?"

Regina sighed while she stared at her feet feeling her cheeks redden. "Really dear, it isn't that difficult. I was here with Hook because I wanted to be here with him. And Hook was kissing me because I wanted to kiss him. End of story." With that she lowered her hands so both men could stand on the ground again.

"Why were you looking for me in the first place?" She then asked.

"I wanted to show you something, but that can wait, I'll just…leave you to it then." Was all Neal said while he turned around and walked out the door again.

"No Neal wait, I'm sorry !" Regina called after him but he didn't come back.

"Just leave him love, he'll get over it." Hook said as he wrapped his arms around her.

Regina walked away from him however. "Well it sure didn't help that you brought all of this so subtly." She said angrily. "He is my friend, Hook. I know you two can't stand each other, although I don't know why, you're going to tell me that soon…" she pointed with her finger at him, "..but that doesn't mean that you can act like you do towards him. I care for Neal and it's apparently _your_ fault that I had to miss him for so many years! WHAT are you laughing at? Do you think this is funny?"

Hook shook his head. "No no not at all, I take this all very serious. It's just, it's so hard to take you serious without your shirt on." He grinned.

Regina let out a frustrated groan. "Unbelievable, what was I _ever_ thinking." She ranted while she walked past him to grab her shirt, quickly she put it on. "Don't even _think_ about coming over tonight or tomorrow." She hissed and after that she disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

* * *

**Here you go **

**BY THE WAY, thank you all so much for your lovely reviews and comments and welcome new story followers ****! I had never expected this story to be so popular for it isn't a romantic pairing between the too xD!**

**Please read and review !**

**X**

**Metope**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm terribly sorry for the delay! I'm so extremly busy at the moment with other school and work and drawing that I can't find the time to write :(!**

**But here's a new chapter :)!**

**Five**

A while after Regina had left the ship Cora reappeared. "O my, you had her and you lost her just as quick I see." The woman smirked while she looked at the confused pirate sitting on his bed.

"What do you mean?" The pirate asked.

"Well, she stormed after Neal as soon as he left, of course. And I"m afraid that his heroic behaviour and your…lack of that, drove her right in his arms."

"You're lying." The pirate growled.

"O I'm really not." Cora lied. "I can show you." And the older witch walked over to the handmirror that was lying on a table. She waved her hand over the mirror and held it so that Hook could look at it. Instead of seeing his own reflection in the mirror, the mirror showed him the inside of Neal's apartment.

The son of Rumplestiltskin was sitting on the side of his bed, head in his hands when he heard knocking on the door. When he opened the door a teary-eyed Regina was standing in the opening.

"Neal…" She said in an unsteady voice. "Please listen to me. I'm _sorry_. I'm sorry for what he said to you. Please- Please don't be mad at me? I've lost so many people already, I can't lose you too." Neal said nothing, he just pulled the brunette into a tight hug as she sobbed against his shoulder.

What happened next Hook didn't see for he slammed the mirror out of Cora's hands. "Get out!" He yelled at her. Cora just nodded with a smirk, her job was done.

* * *

"It's okay Regina. I'm not mad at you. It was just…He can very persuasive I can imagine how you could fall for him. But you've come to your senses now and…"

Regina now pulled away from the hug. "Neal.." she interrupted him. "I said I'm sorry for Hook's behaviour. I'm not sorry for _being_ with him. I – I care about him, I love him and he loves me. I know there's a lot of bad history between you where I don't know about, but that doesn't mean that Killian is a bad person. I've known him for a very long time and…he loves me too and he makes me happy. And if you can't deal with that….that's _your_ problem. But know that it would hurt me very much if you would turn on me because of that…."

Neal sighed as he looked into the determined dark Brown eyes of Regina, she really meant what she said. "Well, I can't say I understand, but…if you're really sure he is what makes you happy…then I'll respect that….on one condition."

The brunette arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow in response.

"You come with me now so I can show your surprise and you have to promise to work along, deal?"

Regina smiled at him. "Deal." She laughed.

* * *

With the utmost care Hook dipped his hook in the deathly poison in front of him. It was time to skin a crocodile. He had promised Regina he wouldn't go after the imp but since Regina betrayed him that promise didn't stand anymore, the pirate reasoned. He wondered if she had every really cared for him, or that it had all been one big scheme in order to obtain the dagger herself and claim the dark one's powers… Either way, he didn't care anymore…time to skin that crocodile.

* * *

Cora sighed in annoyance. She had expected Regina to be home by now, however there still was no sign of her daughter whatsoever. She had everything planned out very carefully but if her daughter didn't show up soon she would have to change the plan… Hook had taken matters in his own hands, with a lie about Belle having escaped from the hospital and crossed the town line he had learned the imp outside Storybrooke. As soon as he lost his magic and therefore became mortal the pirate had stabbed the imp with his poisoned hook in the chest. Cora had observed it all from the mirror in the hallway in Regina's house. She saw how Hook got hit in the head hard by Emma and how the 'saviour' and her parents dragged the injured man back to his home.

Cora sighed again, well, if Regina didn't show up, that was her loss, it was time to get that dagger before it was too late and with that Cora disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Snow stared at the candle in her hands, would she really do this? And if she would…how would she ever get the heart back inside Cora? She sighed…and she had thought dealing with Regina had been bad…..then an idea popped up in her head….Regina…..

* * *

_One hour before_

"The theater? What on earth is there here that could serve as a surprise to me?" Regina asked curiously.

"You'll see." Was all Neal said as he held the backstage door open for her.

He led Regina to the stage on which one single piano was standing. "Henry told me he had never heard you play the piano...that you never did anything with music…I thought we should change that." Neal explained as he pushed Regina up to the stage and gestured to her to take place.

Regina opened her mouth to object.

"Uh, no you promised to work along..that means no objecting, sit down and play." And he pushed her down with a little force.

She sighed but the twinkling in her eyes told Neal that she liked this surprise very much."What do you want me to play? And please go easy on me I haven't played in….too many years." She ended her question..the actual number would be too confronting she decided for herself. "Can we first play something together, like we used to? Please?" She said with the most innocent smile she could find in herself to give him.

Neal laughed as he went to sit next to her. "Okay fine, you win." And when he started to play a piece they often played Regina quickly joined in. To her surprise Regina made little to no mistakes and she found she had really missed playing. When they finished she leaned a little to Neal. "Thanks" She said. "I really missed this, I didn't realize I did up until now."

Neal wrapped his right arm around her and gave her a hug. "But that's why I am here. To help you remember these little things." Regina laughed and both adults were too busy laughing and talking that they hadn't noticed Henry and Snow entering the theater, Snow carrying a box with a small red glowing cross on one side.

* * *

Henry wanted to walk up to the two but Snow held him back. She hadn't known where to find Regina, but luckily Henry knew of the surprise Neal had prepared for Regina. However he would only tell her if he could come with her – Snow had explained to him she wanted to give Cora's heart to Regina so she could "become good" – and so here they were. The brunette knew Regina would never let Henry come with her so there wasn't really a problem.

"No wait." Snow whispered. "I want to …watch them for a while first." Henry nodded, he was rather curious himself too, he had never seen Regina this careless and happy nor had he seen her play the piano before.

"Ok. Now you play something by yourself, in that beautiful way only you can play." They heard Neal say.

Regina sighed. "I don't know what to play."

"Do you know Comptine d'un autre été'?" Neal asked. "It's the soundtrack from the movie Amélie"

Regina shook her head. "The name doesn't ring a bell…Sorry. Can you let me hear a sample? Maybe I'll know then?"

"I can look it up on my phone." Neal said and he did as he proposed, after only two bars Regina recognized the song. "O wait I do know that song!" She said happily. "I've heard it once or twice, I think I'll be able to play it, yes." She said with a smile on her face.

"Of course you can." Neal mumbled. "You're blessed with perfect pitch."

"Pff I wouldn't call that a blessing, rather a curse. I hear everything that's slightly out of tune , even if others don't. " Regina sighed. "But enough talking. You wanted to hear me playing than be quite."

She laughed and with that she started to play.

From the very first notes Henry and Snow were moved by Regina's performance. The grace with what she pressed the piano keys, the way her body moved on the music and the perfection of the sound itself made the three people listening in that theater forgetting everything around them.

* * *

Neal watched Regina intently while she was playing, somewhere halfway the piano play tears had started to fall down her cheek. He felt the urge to wipe them away but knew he would break her concentration if he did. It was better to just let them fall, the music was a way of releasing stress for her, it had always been. When she played she forgot about her worries and fears, it was why she was crying now.

When he turned his head to look at the empty theater he suddenly saw Snow and Henry standing next to her. When his eyes met Snow's the woman silently brought her index finger to her lips. Neal nodded in understanding, they didn't want to disturb Regina now and he was okay with that. This way Henry could observe his mother quietly for how she really was. If they would make their presence known she would most certainly put her walls right back up. The only thing that was bothering Neal was the box with the red glowing cross on it that Snow was holding…

**There you go, I hope you liked this chapter :)!**

**By the way if any of you wants to see what drawings are keeping me from updating my fanfiction stories..you can find my on Deviantart , my username is diejjj there: diejjj dot Deviantart dot com :)**

**x**

**Metope**


	6. Chapter 6

**VI  
**

When Regina had finished the piece she let out a shaky sigh and wiped the tears of her face. "That was a little bit more emotional than I'd expected it to be." She said in a small smile as she stood up from the piano.

Neal couldn't control himself any longer. Seeing her standing there so small and lost with a tear stained face he walked over her and pulled her in a hug. The moment Regina felt his arms around him she started to cry again, heavy sobs were shaking her body. She was so tired from keeping up appearances all the time, from fighting Gold, from fighting Emma and Snow, and from fighting her mother.

"It's okay, it's okay." Neal whispered to her as he rubbed her back. "Everything is going to be fine."

Regina pulled away from Neal. "How can you say that?" She sobbed. "Everything is far from fine, and you know why? Because I am here. And everywhere I am around things go wrong. People die, or get hurt, either by me or by Gold or my mother _because_ of me. I lost Daniel, I lost you, I lost my father, I lost Henry, and now after that fight and the fact that my mother found out about us I will lose Killian too, it will only be a matter of time before you'll leave me again too. My mother is winning, Neal. Everything just..._sucks_!"

At the sound of soft laughter Regina quickly turned around to see Snow and Henry standing in the theatre. Her jaw tightened, and the three saw her walls shoot up within seconds. Snow immediately raised her hands as a sign that she didn't bring trouble with her and Henry – who had been laughing – looked to the ground. "I'm sorry mom." He quickly said. "It was just so funny to hear a bad word coming from your mouth.

Regina smiled through her tears, but her face grew serious again once she looked at Snow and saw what the woman was holding. "Where did you get that?" She asked sharply.

"I went to go look for it." Snow said. "Regina..your mother has the dagger, and Hook has wounded Gold in such a way that he is dying. She is planning on taking his powers. We don't have much time. I- Rumple gave me this candle and told me to speak use it to save him and let Cora die instead and – "

"No you cannot do that!" Regina screamed in panic and she magicked herself in front of Snow, trying to take the candle Snow was now holding in her other hand away from her. "You can't kill my mother. I love her!" Regina said desperately.

"I know that Regina." Snow said calmly while she set a step back. "That's why I didn't do what Gold asked me. I- I did something else..." And the regret in her eyes told Regina that Snow may not have killed her mother, but that she had killed nonetheless.

"Snow, what did you do? And if my mother has the dagger and Gold is dying shouldn't we be in a hurry then?" She asked in a calmer voice.

Snow shook her head as tears now started to fall down her face. "I- I didn't use the candle on Cora's heart..I- I used it on Greg- on the outsider instead. I _killed_ someone Regina." She sobbed.

Regina couldn't help but let out a small gasp at the news as she looked over to Neal who was now standing next to Regina. Neal quickly understood Regina wanted him to comfort Snow, she might not want to kill the woman – not right now that was – but giving the woman the hug she needed at this moment was a bridge too far.

Snow willingly let Neal pull her towards him as she continued to sob. "I feel so bad." She sobbed.

"Snow.." Regina started. "You don't have to. I mean, what you did is horrible, and it feels horrible. I know that better than anyone. But the thing is, you did it to protect your family, and to protect this town. Killing Cora would have probably been dangerous to the time, for I don't know what I would have done to you all if that would have been the case, and letting Rumple die would mean Henry and Neal would lose a part of their family."

"But that doesn't justify the fact that I killed an innocent man, just because I was afraid he would be a problem to us!"

Regina sighed. "He wasn't that innocent. In fact you've saved us from a lot of trouble."

"What do you mean mom?" Henry now asked.

"Greg, or actually his name is Owen, has been in Storybrooke before. When he was just a boy he was camping with his father in the woods. Here. At the moment I cast the curse. Storybrooke quite literally landed on them. They spend a few weeks here...things...escalated...and Greg left without his father. Now he is back, looking for his father. I told him he had left a few days after Greg did, but that is not entirely true." Regina sighed while her eyes were fixed on a point in the theatre, for she didn't dare to look at Henry or Neal or Snow for that matter.

"Together with Graham I...I uhm...got rid of him, because he had seen things he couldn't see." She said uncomfortably. "And, I talked to him a few days ago. I caught him filming me while I was using magic." Panic was now starting to be audible in her voice. "I know I promised I wouldn't do that anymore, but..things were complicated...and he saw me and he threatened me with it. And he has send it to someone else and if they come here we're all lost. So..so maybe it's better that he's gone now." Regina rambled. "I'm sorry.." She added and she looked up surprised when Henry took her hand.

"It's okay. Back then, you were practically still the Evil Queen, and now you're different." He said, Regina sent him a sad smile and then switched her attention back to Snow and Neal.

"The thing is Snow. You'll feel horrible for a while, and you'll try to tell yourself and let yourself believe that what you did is right. You did kill someone, and that is never right, but in this case...you followed your heart and did what you thought was right, and for a large part it was. Don't be too hard on yourself. You have a loving family, you'll get over this. What is more important now is how to stop my mother. And if you didn't use the candle on my mother's heart, then why did you bring it with you?" Regina asked.

"I thought...maybe if you would put her heart back...things would change. Maybe she would become good again. She can't really love you as she is Regina, she doesn't really love you." Snow said softly as she wiped away her tears.

Regina winced at those words, deep down she knew what Snow said was true, that her mother had never truly loved her, but that didn't make hearing it any easier. "So you suggest I should put her heart back?" Regina asked softly while she took the box with the heart form Snow.

Snow nodded. "I think you should. It will give you a chance, a real chance, on having a mother..on having a family. Maybe she will care for you, and won't try to make you a queen anymore. Maybe she won't stand in the way anymore of you finding love..of you being with Henry without danger maybe...if I understood correctly...she won't stand in the way between you and Hook anymore."

"My mom isn't in love with Hook." Henry said, not noticing Regina's face had turned red at Snow's last remark. "Hook is bad, he nearly killed mr. Gold. Mom is trying to change, she would never do that. Hook is evil, right mom?" But when the boy looked at his mother's face and saw her slightly red cheeks, the panic in her eyes, while she appeared not to know what to say to her son, Henry knew he was wrong.

"No mom! Hook his evil! He – you – You can't love him! It's not real, he probably just made you believe that he loves you so you would help him kill mr. Gold!" Henry said shocked.

"On the contrary lad, I really did love your precious Evil Queen. She, however, chose that pathetic excuse of a lost boy above me, and so I broke my promise to her to not hurt that crocodile just as she broke her promise to me."

"Don't call her the Evil Queen, Hook." Neal said as the four of them watched the pirate entering the theatre. "She isn't evil. The fact that you think she is, proves all the more how right I was about you."

"Oh you think so. Listening never really was one of your virtues was it? I just told you that _she_ betrayed me _first_, with _you_ for Gods' sake." Hook shot back as he walked over to the four.

Before Neal could shout something back Regina held up her hand to stop everyone for talking. "Can you all please stop talking, and interfering with _my_ life? It seems it's not only my mother I will have to deal with if I want to have a peaceful life with the people I love." All four of them were quite in an instant, Regina still had that regal charisma that could silence you with only a few words.

"Killian," she then started, her voice much softer. "I don't really know what you think you saw or think you know. But I only ran after Neal because you had been so cruel to him, to – "

"- to ask him if he 'please wouldn't stay mad at you'." Hook imitated her voice. "After which the noble man took you in his arms all to happily. Yes I saw that all in Cora's mirror, I think that proves my point enough."

"Well if you would have continued to _spy_ on us." Neal now said. "You would have seen how she defended you in front of me. How she told me she cares about you, that she evens love you. And you would see how I apologized to her. After that nothing happened...we went to the theatre.."

Hook sighed, but when he looked in Regina's eyes and saw the pain in her eyes that he had thought she would betray him like that, he knew Neal was right. "Regina...I'm sorry, love. You left so angry and when Cora showed me you two hugging each other, I couldn't stand watching that."

"Why.." Regina asked softly. "What is it to you?"

"What it is to me? It is everything to me." Hook said, slightly raising his voice as he set a step in her direction taking her hand in his. The two of them were now completely ignoring the other three people present. "I care about Regina. Just like Neal says you care about me. I love you, thinking about you with another man...that makes me sick. I am sorry I hurt you, and that I have caused so much trouble. I truly am, please don't cry." Hook said as he wiped a tear off her face with his one hand. "I love you Regina, with all my heart. I didn't think it was possible after I saw how that crocodile crushed Milah's heart in front of me, but it turns out I could. You understand me, you understand what it does to someone to see that happen to the person you love, and in the same way I understand you. Please, forgive me."

All that Regina managed to do after hearing these words was laugh through her tears as she closed the gap between them and kissed him, smiling into the kiss when she felt Hook wrapping his arms around her.

"Uh guys, I'm like, right here, and I so do not need to see this." Henry now remarked, causing Regina – to Hook's regret – to quickly pull away from Hook and let out a shaky laugh of embarrassment.

"You're going soft, Regina." Snow teased.

"Don't get your hopes up, Snow." Regina answered. "I- I'm just...happy, I guess." She sighed.

"Henry is here, Killian is, I can even stand your presence today and I finally have my brother back." She said with a smile as she now gave Neal a soft punch. "You two will have to try to get along, because I'm not going to give up on either one of you." She said as she pointed at both Hook and Neal.

Both men huffed at Regina's words, which caused Henry, Snow and Regina to laugh.

"Guys, don't you think we should like, go check on Emma and Gramps to see if they were successful in stopping Cora?" Henry then remarked.

"They managed Henry, I'm sure of that." Snow said. "Emma has magic and Gold is better again, I don't think Cora has tried to do anything, I guess she 'magic smoked' herself away the moment he was recovered." Regina nodded in agreement.

"Well it seems you know me very well then, Snow White." They suddenly heard Cora's voice sounded through the theatre and at the same moment all except Regina were pinned against the wall high in the air. Regina gasped in shock and screamed out after that when she saw how Cora now made herself visible in the middle of the stage while willing the hearts of all four people towards her.

"Mother!" Regina yelled. "What are you doing!?"

Before Cora could answer Emma, David and Gold entered the theatre.

"Regina, Cora, let them go!" David yelled in anger.

"I don't have anything to do with this!" Regina spat back. "Do you really think I would rip my son's heart out? Mother let them go! This is not what we agreed to."

"Well I didn't really think we were still sticking to the agreement since you never kept your part of the deal, now did you?" Cora said while she immobilized Emma and David with one swift move of her hand. Regina turned to Gold. "Rumple, do something!"

The Dark One shook his head however. "I can't, dearie. I made a deal with her to save Emma and David from her cruel hands by agreeing I wouldn't interfere with her plans afterwards. I can't break that deal."

Regina sighed in annoyance. "Mother," She said once again. "What do you _want_."

"I want you to come back to me Regina." Cora said without looking at her daughter as she was still concentrating on the four people and their floating hearts. "Love is weakness, Regina. But, I'll make one last deal with you. It seems I can't take you from the ones you love, so I will take the ones you love away from you once again."

"Then...then you can release Snow White again, for I don't love her nor care about her." Regina said in an unsteady voice. She hoped that way she could bring at least one of the four in safety already.

Cora shook her head while she laughed. "O you can't fool me Regina. I'm your _mother_, I know you better than anyone. You do love Snow, that love never entirely died. You say you didn't kill her because her life like this would be more cruel, but we both know that deep down, you couldn't kill her if you wanted to, because your weakness, your _love_ for her is keeping you from it."

Regina let out a whimper in a frustration. "Please let them go, mother. Please. Let Henry go, he's just a child." Tears were streaming down her face while she looked up at her son seeing the fear and pain on his tear stained face.

"O I can let him go.." Cora started. "But then the other three will die. You'll have to choose Regina. Will it be the man you love, the man you call your brother, the woman that deep down still is your stepdaughter or the boy you call your son? It's your choice, chose wisely." The woman said with a cruel smile on her face while she watched Regina fall on her knees in desperation.

"Regina." Gold now said. "I think that I speak for all of us here if I say that we all want nothing more than for you to finally have your happy ending. I think you should choose for either Hook or Neal." Regina looked up in confusion at the imp's words, since when did the man care about her happiness? Why didn't he say she should save Henry, she knew all the others wanted her to save Henry, he was just a child.

"No! How can you say such a thing!" Snow yelled. "Regina, safe Henry, he shouldn't be suffering like this."

"I agree." Neal said. "Safe my son, Regina. Safe our son."

"No! Snow! There has to be another way!" David now yelled in desperation, while he and Emma were still unable to move.

"David, Emma, it is okay." Snow yelled back with tears in her eyes. "I – It's best like this."

All this time Hook hadn't said a word, he had just been observing Regina who was sitting there on her knees her hands now covering her head while she tried to make an impossible decision and probably was thinking of another way out. Cora was patiently standing there, grinning at the desperate adults that were all trying to do the right thing, proving love was weakness indeed.

"He!" Hook suddenly yelled and managed to shut everyone up as they all looked at him in confusion. "We can all try to be the noble one here and scream at Regina who she has to save or what she has to do. But in the end it is Regina who has to decide what she wants to do, and she can't decide with you all yelling at each other, making it impossible for her to think." Hook paused for a while after which he continued to talk to Regina now. "Regina, my love, I love you with all my heart, I hope you know that. You made me incredibly happy again and I want you to know that whatever you choose, it will be the right decision. Just know that I love you, even when I'm dead."

At these words Regina sent him a soft smile as she stood up again and now turned to face Cora. "I made my decision mother."

"Tell me dear."

"I- I want you to release all four of them, and I will give you my heart in exchange. That way I won't be able to feel any love and won't have a weakness anymore."

"No!" It sounded from the mouths of seven people, Cora was the only one sending Regina a wicked grin. "Well, I should have thought about that myself." The woman mused.

"Do we have a deal?" Regina asked calmly, and at Cora's nod Regina reached into her own chest and took her heart out with a gasp.

"No mom! Don't do that! Let me die! Save Hook! Mom don't do this!" Henry cried, and it took Regina everything she had to not turn around to face Henry and try to sooth him. However she had to stay focused now. Cora eagerly held out her hand for Regina to give her the heart. Regina shook her head however. "No, first you have to give them their hearts back an release them. I won't give you my heart before that."

"Fine." Was all Cora said, and with a flick of her wrist all four hearts were back where they belonged and Snow, Neal, Hook and Henry were lowered to the ground again.

"Now. Give me your heart." Cora said.

* * *

**Bam!**

**I'm experiencing great trouble with the joints in my arms and wrists, and therefore writing has become extremely hard. That together with the fact that I have to write my Bachelor thesis in this month and the next, makes that updates won't come as frequently as they did. However, I do am planning on continuing this story and the other two I'm still writing on. So don't worry, updates just may take a little longer.**

**This is also the reason why there might be more typos and mistakes in my chapters, I costs me a lot of time to write a chapter, so I don't always have the time and energy to reread it for mistakes. Sorry in advance.**

**Please leave a review and don't hate me too much for not making QueenThief happen the way some of you want it :P**

**X**

**Metope**


	7. Chapter 7

**VII  
**

* * *

_"Now. Give me your heart." Cora said._

Regina nodded as she slowly walked over to her mother, ignoring the desperate pleas of the ones she loved not to do it. She kept her eyes focused on those of her mother. Cora looked excited, happy that she would be able to fully control her daughter in only a matter of seconds.

"You take it mother." Regina said without emotion in her voice, and the grin on Cora's face grew possibly wider while the older woman raised her hand towards Regina's chest.

However the moment she plunged her hand in her daughter's chest, Regina did exactly the same to her mother, however she wasn't ripping out her mother's heart as much as putting it back.

Cora's movements froze because of the shock, and when Regina quickly pulled her hand back, Cora set a few steps back, releasing Regina's heart in the process, while all the emotions and feelings of her heart ran through her body. Anger, confusion, sadness and when Cora's eyes met those of her daughter again, happiness, finally. The older woman let out a happy and content laugh that seemed so out of character that even Regina was taken aback by it, but only for a second, for the joy she saw on her mother's face while the woman looked at her was all she had ever wanted from her.

"Regina..." Cora whispered, a smile still on her face. "My beautiful, _beautiful _daughter. You...you are enough, sweetheart. You would have always been enough." And before Regina could do anything Cora walked over to her and pulled her in a hug, not a fake one as usual, but a _real_ hug, a loving one. And Regina felt how different it was, to be held by a mother who loved you, your _own_ mother who loved you, _truly_ loved you, and she felt salty tears run down her cheeks.

"Mother.." She sobbed. "I am sorry.." She didn't even know what she was apologizing for, it was just what she had always said to her mother in order to receive some sort of affection from the woman.

"Ssshh, it's alright, it's alright, dear. You have nothing to be sorry for, _I_ am sorry, for _everything_ I have put you through." Cora comforted her daughter slowly caressing her head, straightening out the black hair with her hand.

The two women were oblivious to the other people that were still present in the theatre, until Hook coughed discreetly. He thought he had given Regina and Cora long enough now, and all he now wanted was to hold the woman he loved in his arms, to make sure she really was okay.

Regina pulled away from her mother at the sound and turned around only to be met by Henry running towards her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"O Henry, I am so happy you are alright." Regina said softly while she rubbed soft circles on the boys back as he cried.

"I thought you would die." He cried.

"But I didn't Henry. I didn't. Because I will never leave you, not ever. Never forget that."

Henry looked up to his mother with teary eyes. "I love you mommy."

"I love you too, my baby boy." Regina said with a smile as she pulled him in an even tighter hug again.

"Henry, I think your other mom wants a hug too." Hook now said, pointing over at Emma.

"Uhm, yes well..uh...I'm good for now...?" Emma protested, not wanting to ruin the moment her son was having with Regina.

"No you do." Hook countered.

"But.." Emma started again.

"He just wants to have Regina to himself, Ems, give the good man what he wants for one. He already has only one hand..it's sad enough as it is." Neal joked, causing him to receive a death glare.

"Phew, saved by the bell..or actually by my son." Neal continued to joke when Henry let go of Regina giving Hook the chance to go to her.

"You can't ever do that again, do you understand me." Hook said seriously to Regina while he took her in his arms.

Regina nodded with a smile. "I don't expect it to be necessary ever again, dear."

"Well, only one way to find out.." Hook answered and he looked over Regina's shoulder to Cora who was still standing there, observing and enjoying to see how her daughter had found, despite her actions in the past, a group of people that loved her all so much. "Do _you_ think she'll have to pull a trick like this ever again, Cora?"

Cora smiled a sad smile. "Not ever. Not ever again will I force my daughter into anything she doesn't want."

Hook nodded in understanding and then looked over to Gold. "And what about you crocodile?"He growled.

"I have no business with the Mills woman anymore, dearie. You won't hear anything from me as long as they won't stand in my way."

"And even if they do stand in your way, I'm sure they will have a very valid reason for that." Neal warned.

"Well good." Emma intervened, seeing Gold's upperlip form into a snarl already. "Then I suggest we all go to Grannies now, to celebrate that..."

"...no one died." Henry finished.

"As disturbing as that may sound, I think that is indeed what we need to celebrate, yes." Snow now agreed and they all laughed about the ridiculous situation.

* * *

It had been quite a sight when they had all entered the diner, considering the fact no one else knew that Cora wasn't evil anymore. However, one would have to be extremely blind to not see the change in the woman, and so they all accepted this renewed Cora Mills.

Regina was observing how her mother who was talking, almost flirting it seemed, with Gold, how Henry was talking animatedly with Emma and Hook and how Snow and David got once again lost in each other – or maybe found each other as they always said – when she felt someone sit down next to her in the booth she was sitting in.

She looked to her right to see Neal sitting next to her. "Hey sis." He said with a smile.

"Hey big brother." Regina answered with a smile just as wide.

"Are you happy?"

Regina sighed. "You know, I think I am." She then said. "My mother...that's just beyond what I had ever hoped for, and I have Henry back, and I found you again, and there is Killian...You know I'm so happy I'm not even terribly appalled by the sight of the two idiots practically eating each other's faces over there."

Neal laughed at that. "Well I'm glad to hear you didn't lose your witty comments along with your unhappiness."

Regina smiled contently and leaned her head against Neal's chest. "I am glad about that too..someone has to make those comments, right?"

"I guess you're right, couldn't leave all those opportunities unused." Neal agreed.

"My point exactly." Regina said and she yawned as her eyes slowly fell down, exhausted as she was by the events of the past few months, and finally, _finally_ she could sleep in peace..because she was happy...

**The End.**

* * *

**Well there you go. I hope you all like this story! I have one more question for you all? My next fanfiction, SwanQueen or QueenThief or SwanThief AND should I do something with the horrible torture-promo-scenes we saw in the Lacey promo or not ****!**

**Please leave your thoughts behind ;)!**

**x**

**Metope**


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